A point of sale (POS) terminal comprises hardware and software used for checkouts. Such systems are widely used in retail establishments, including, but not limited to grocery stores, restaurants and countless other places of business. Among the various types of equipment used by POS terminals is a barcode reader (or barcode scanner).
As is well known, a barcode reader optically senses a barcode image and produces electronic signals corresponding to the sensed image. One type of reader is a pen-type reader that consists of a light source and a photodiode that are placed next to each other in the tip of a pen or wand. The photodiode measures the intensity of the light from the light source that is reflected back by white spaces in the barcode. Processing circuitry generates a waveform corresponding to the widths of the bars and spaces in the barcode. The waveform is then decoded.
Another type of reader is a digital camera or CCD reader, which uses an array of light sensors to measure the intensity of emitted ambient light from the bar code immediately in front of it. A voltage pattern identical to the pattern in a bar code is generated in the reader by sequentially measuring the voltages across each sensor.
Neither a pen-type nor a CCD/camera-type reader is the most popular type of reader for POS terminals. Laser scanners predominate. In general, they work the same way as pen type readers except that they use a laser beam as the light source and typically employ either a reciprocating mirror or a rotating prism to scan the laser beam back and forth across the bar code. As with the pen type reader, a photodiode measures the intensity of the light reflected back from the bar code. In both pen readers and laser scanners, the light emitted by the reader is rapidly varied in brightness with a data pattern and the photodiode receive circuitry is designed to detect only signals with the same modulated pattern. Laser scanners operate quickly and reliably. With an arrangement of mirrors and lenses, a laser scanner station of a POS system effectively scans barcodes on merchandise so long as the barcode is passed through the scanning field, even though the barcode may not directly face the scanner and may never come to a complete rest in the scanning field. Pen and CCD scanners cannot do this.
While conventional laser scanners are superb at reliably scanning printed barcodes, for various reasons they cannot reliably scan barcodes displayed as images on electronic displays. Some CCD/camera type scanners are useful for scanning barcodes displayed as images on electronic displays; however, for various reasons, these types of scanners are not in widespread use. One reason may be that they require the barcode to be stationary immediately in front of the scanner. Such precise positioning requirements would cause the grocery checkout process to grind to a halt. Another reason is relatively high cost. Most retailers have little or no reason to abandon their fully functional laser scanners for more temperamental and costly CCD/camera type scanners.
In recent years, with the proliferation of cell phones, various mobile applications have been conceived to help manage coupons. A goal of such applications is facilitating access to coupons via a shopper's cell phone. No one would dispute that on-demand mobile access to coupons would be highly desirable. The problem with these applications is that they do not work well, or at all, with the vast majority of existing POS systems. A coupon barcode displayed on a cell phone display cannot be read by most laser scanners. An alphanumeric coupon code may be useful for online purchases, but is simply not practical for most retail POS systems. Although there may be special exceptions, conventional POS systems are simply not configured to communicate (e.g., wirelessly) with cell phones or receive coupon data communicated from cell phones (e.g., via SMS, email, or otherwise). Thus, applications that contemplate Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or SMS communication of coupon data to a handheld electronic device are impractical, or of extremely limited utility, today.
Another shortcoming of conventional coupons is security. According to an article entitled “Coupon Fraud Grows” in the Mar. 4, 2010 edition of the Wall Street Journal, the use of counterfeit coupons for groceries and other items has risen as budget-conscious consumers increasingly get their coupons from online sources. Today it is easy to craft coupons with barcodes that appear legitimate to check-out clerks and can be scanned at the POS. To combat such fraud, sophisticated wholesalers have begun including watermarks and holograms on their legitimate coupons, making the fraudulent coupons easy for them to spot. However, many wholesalers and printed media are not equipped to implement such protections. Additionally, check-out clerks are not trained to distinguish a real from a fake coupon for every possible brand.
What is needed is a practical module for an electronic device to receive electronically stored barcode data and optically communicate electronically stored barcode data to conventional barcode readers. What is also needed is a cost effective alternative to conventional printed coupons, something that is compatible with the ubiquitous laser barcode scanners of conventional POS systems. Preferably, the alternative enables on-demand electronic retrieval of coupons for use at a conventional POS.
The invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems and solving one or more of the needs as set forth above.